Olympic Valley

Olympic Valley, CA · Events
The Fresno Bee
Kim Stephens' son joins KMPH's Great Day + other changes at Fresno TV newsrooms
Finnley Pendergast may be new to KMPH’s TV newsroom , but he has some history with the station and its Great Day morning show. His mother, Kim Stephens, has co-hosted the newscast since its inception in 2003, playing counterpart to its well-known weatherman Kopi Sotiropulous. Pendergast grew up visiting her on set. “It was kind of boring then,” says the 22-year-old Fresno State graduate, who just last week joined the station as morning reporter and multimedia journalist. “I was just a kid.” But looking across the newsroom and seeing his mother behind the anchor desk, it hits different now that the pair are working together, he says. “It’s a really cool experience for both of us.” This is Pendergast’s first gig since graduating from Fresno State, where he helped produced a weekly newscast and anchor weather segments for the school’s student newscast. He also worked on the university’s newspaper as sports editor and as a staff reporter. Getting that practice in, especially in front the camera, was helpful, he says, for a guy who is mostly pretty reserved. But there was a big learning curve going into his first live remote from outside city hall, reporting on updates to the
The Fresno Bee
Guadalajara ‘coming soon' to this Fresno corner. What it means for restaurant's fans
Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant’s “coming soon” sign at Olive and Fowler avenues has some people in Fresno buzzing. What is the popular restaurant planning? A permanent food truck. The restaurant, with its longtime location on Weber Avenue, plans to park a food truck on the property of Fresno Roofing Co., near the southwest corner. It will be open from about 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day except Tuesday, said Richard Garcia, part of the family that owns the restaurant. Garcia’s brother-in-law is manager at Fresno Roofing. “The owners always come to the restaurant and eats, and they’re always like, ‘Why don’t you set up your trailer there?’” So they made it happen. The food truck will have the same menu as the 38-year-old restaurant, including Guadalajara’s popular chile verde plate with rice and beans. Tacos, fajitas and the camarones a la diabla, a spicy shrimp dish, will be on the menu. All the dishes will have homemade tortillas too. Breakfast burritos will be available for morning commuters, along with family dinners for the after-work crowd. Exactly when the truck will open is still up in the air. The family has had the truck for a while, but haven’t used it
unearththevoyage.com
KMPH.com
Mountain lion marks second wild animal sighting within months in Fresno neighborhood
What age was the mountain lion that dispersed from its mother?. Anita Marino’s Tuesday morning took an unexpected turn when she reviewed her overnight security camera footage and saw a mountain lion outside her northwest Fresno home around midnight. The sighting is the second major instance of a wild...
The Fresno Bee
Which Fresno restaurants are closed or under new owners? Some have changed focus
The Enchanted Pour opened its upstairs speakeasy, Sin and Satin, in Fresno’s Tower District at the beginning of June. Five months later, the speakeasy announced it was closing, with its last day on Nov. 18. It’s one of several Central Valley restaurants and food or drink operations that have closed, are closing or have switched hands over the last few weeks. Under new ownership Doll’s Kitchen , a Fresno soul food brand that operates a food truck outside the Chevron at 5566 E. Kings Canyon Rd., announced Oct. 21 that the business acquired Rhapsody’s Restaurant , a soul food restaurant. Rhapsody’s Restaurant opened at 3209 W. Shaw Ave., Ste. 105, in September 2020. Doll’s Kitchen confirmed through a Facebook post that it will continue to operate the food truck and the restaurant, and that additional changes are coming. “We’re bringing two of Fresno’s favorite soul food spots together under one family — same flavors, same heart, even more soul,” Doll’s Kitchen posted. Closed or temporarily closed Craft 99 Pizza , a Detroit-style pizzeria at 585 W. Nees Ave. Ste. #123 in north Fresno, temporarily closed earlier this month and took its website offline. The restaurant offered no explanation on why,
The Fresno Bee
You can cut down your own Christmas tree in CA for $20. Where to go near Fresno
Imagine hiking into a lush forest as the birds flit through the lofty evergreens. As you enter a sunny clearing, you spot your ideal Christmas tree: a perfectly formed fir. You can cut down your own holiday tree at a dozen national forests across California, including a couple near Fresno. According to federal government officials, controlled tree-cutting is allowed during the holidays to reduce overgrowth and fire risks. “For every tree that is found, cut and carried home as a holiday fixture, you’re also contributing to the overall forest health,” officials said on Recreation.gov. “Christmas tree permits are a unique opportunity to help thin densely populated stands of small-diameter trees — the perfect size for a Christmas tree.” It’s best to plan ahead, since permits go fast. Here’s what to know: Where can I cut down a Christmas tree in California? In California, a total of 12 national forests offer seasonal tree permits just in time for the holiday season. You can discover which forests offer tree permits by going to Recreation.gov and checking out the interactive map. You can also search by the forest name, location or state. Here’s where to go within a two-hour drive of Fresno: Sequoia